Residential Planting Strategies for Friendly Neighborhoods and Farmsteads Bird Friendly Shrubs

Shrubs provide food, cover, and a “stepping stone” for going up Using These Shrubs: and down the landscape. Shrubs are an important component of Northern Mockingbird woodland, grassland, and wetland habitats that many of our native Carolina Wren birds require to call a place home. Plantings in yards, parks, and House Wren farmsteads incorporating shrubs listed here provide unique habitat Brown Thrasher* benefits to some of Iowa’s bird species. Wood Thrush* Baltimore Oriole* Cedar American Goldfinch * Denotes Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Rose-breasted Grosbeak Nesting Species of Greatest Conservation Black-capped Chickadee Need Tufted Titmouse Common Name Scientific Name Requirements Height & Spread Water Sun H S Alternate-Leaf Dogwood alternifolia 15-25 ft 20-32 ft American Hazelnut Corylus americana 10-16 ft 8-13 ft Black Raspberry Rubus occidentalis 1.5-2 ft 4-5 ft American Plum Prunus americana 15-25 ft 15-25 ft Common Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis 5-12 ft 4-8 ft Fragrant Sumac Rhus aromatica 2-6 ft 6-10 ft Gray Dogwood Cornus racemosa 10-15 ft 10-15 ft Nanny-Berry Viburnum lentago 14-16 ft 6-12 ft Pussy Willow Salix discolor 6-15 ft 4-15 ft Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra 9-15 ft 9-15 ft Choke Cherry Prunus virginiana 20-30 ft 15-20 ft Smooth Service-Berry Saevis 15-25 ft 15-25 ft White Sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana 2-3 ft 2-3 ft Eastern Wahoo Euonymus atropurpureus 12-20 ft 15-25 ft Rough-Leaf Dogwood Cornus drummondii 6-15 ft 6-15 ft New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus 3-4 ft 3-5 ft Gray Dogwood Cornus racemosa 10-15 ft 10-15 ft Rough-Leaf Dogwood Cornus drummondii 6-15 ft 6-15 ft Redosier dogwood Cornus stolonifera 3-10 ft 3-10 ft Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa 3-8 ft 3-6 ft Common Elderberry Sambucus canadensis 5-12 ft 5-12 ft Common Winterberry 3-10 ft 3-10 ft Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra 6-15 ft 6-15 ft Indiandian Currant Symphoricarpos orbiculatus 4-6 ft 3-5 ft Nannyberry Viburnum Viburnum lentago 15 ft 10 ft Highbush Cranberry Viburnum trilobum 6-12 ft 6-12 ft Sun requirements Water requirements Full Sun- at least 6 hours sun per day Dry Part Shade- 3 to 6 hours sun per day Medium Wet Bird Friendly Trees

Trees form layers of vegetation composed of a canopy high above Birds living Above Canopy: the ground, while smaller trees below form the understory, and Turkey Vulture shrubs beneath bridge the gap between the habitat floor and the Bald Eagle* sky above. Tree canopies can be very open, formed by scattered Cooper’s Hawk trees allowing sun to shine through or closed with dense shade. The Red-tailed Hawk arrangement of trees is highly adaptable to human purposes in yard Osprey plantings. Using the trees listed on the following page will provide Broad-winged Hawk* the greatest benefit to native Iowa bird species. American Kestrel*

Common Name Scientific Name Requirements Height & Spread Birds using the Canopy: Water Sun H S Red-bellied Woodpecker* American Basswood Tilia americana 50-80 ft 30-50 ft Red-headed Woodpecker* American Elm Ulmus americana 60-80 ft 40-70 ft Downy Woodpecker Black Cherry Prunus serotina 60-100 ft 30-60 ft Hairy Woodpecker Black Walnut Juglans nigra 75-100 ft 75-100 ft Norther Flicker* Black Oak Quercus velutina 50-60 ft 50-60 ft Pileated Woodpecker* Black Willow Salix nigra 30-60 ft 30-60 ft White-breasted Nuthatch Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa 80-120 ft 60-80 ft Red-eyed Vireo American Hackberry 40-60 ft 40-60 ft Tufted Titmouse Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra 50-75 ft 50-75 ft Great crested flycatcher Blue Jay Northern White Oak Quercus alba 50-80 ft 50-80 ft Black-capped Chickadee Northern Pin Oak Quercus ellipsoidalis 50-60 ft 40 ft Eastern Wood Pewee Ohio Buckeye Aesculus glabra 20-40 ft 20-40 ft Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides 20-50 ft 10-30 ft Birds Using the Understory: Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata 70-80 ft 50-70 ft Northern Mockingbird Silver Maple Acer saccharinum 50-80 ft 35-70 ft Wood Thrush* Sugar Maple Acer saccharum 60-75 ft 60-75 ft Baltimore Oriole* Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor 50-60 ft 50-60 ft Cedar Waxwing Kentucky Coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus 60-80 ft 40-55 ft House Finch Box Elder Acer negundo 30-50 ft 30-50 ft American Goldfinch Pagoda Dogwood Cornus alternifolia 15-25 ft 20-32 ft Rose-breasted Grosbeak Redbud Cercis canadensis 20-30 ft 20-30 ft Gray Catbird Red Mulberry Morus rubra 35-50 ft 35-40 ft Carolina Wren Eastern Hop-Hornbeam Ostrya virginiana 30-50 ft 20-30 ft Northern Cardinal American Plum Prunus americana 15-25 ft 15-25 ft * Denotes Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Choke Cherry Prunus virginiana 20-30 ft 15-20 ft Nesting Species of Greatest Conservation Smooth Serviceberry Amelanchier laevis 15-25 ft 15-25 ft Need Eastern Wahoo Euonymus atropurpureus 12-20 ft 15-25 ft Prairie Crabapple Malus ioensis 25-40 ft 15-25 ft Cockspur Hawthorn crus-galli 25 ft 25 ft Washington Hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum 25 ft 20 ft Sun requirements Water requirements Full Sun- at least 6 hours sun per day Dry Part Shade- 3 to 6 hours sun per day Medium Wet Bird Friendly Evergreens

Evergreen plants play an important role in Iowa bird habitats as Birds Using Evergreens: they provide excellent cover during winter. Because Iowa’s native Black-capped Chickadee landscape has changed so dramatically, this shelter helps species Blue Jay whose normal native winter cover has been diminished. Some birds Eastern Bluebird also eat the fruits of evergreens, which range from berries, to fleshy Cedar Waxwing cones, and to woody cones containing seeds. Birds may also benefit Dark-eyed Junco from eating that feed on or inhabit evergreen plants, as with Dickcissel many other bird friendly plants. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Few evergreens listed here are actually native to Iowa. However, they Mourning Dove are adapted to Iowa climate and soil conditions, and serve important Northern Bobwhite functions in landscape design. Many are familiar windbreak species, Pine Siskin planted in dense rows to deflect wind from rural dwellings and farm Red-breasted Nuthatch buildings. Others are valued as specimen trees, such as the Lacebark White-breasted Nuthatch Pine. Still others have been introduced to create yard spaces, such Northern Cardinal as in shrub borders, hedgerows and plantings that screen areas or American Goldfinch provide privacy. American Robin Pine Wilt and Diplodia tip blight have decimated pine populations, Sparrow Species particularly Scots Pine and Austrian Pine. Cedar Apple Rust affects fruit trees in the rose family, such as apple and serviceberry. Evergreens that are resistant to disease but hardy in Iowa are * Denotes Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Nesting Species of Greatest Conservation suggested below. Need Common Name Scientific Name Requirements Height & Spread Water Sun H S Eastern Red-Cedar 30-65 ft 8-25 ft Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus 50-80 ft 20-40 ft Norway Spruce Picea abies 40-60 ft 25-30 ft White Fir Abies concolor 40-70 ft 20-30 ft Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii 40-50 ft 30 ft Limber Pine Pinus flexilis 40-50 ft 20-30 ft Black Hills Spruce Picea glauca var. densata 25-40 ft 25 ft Maney Juniperus chinensis 4-6 ft 5-6 ft Upright Conifer Juniperus chinensis ‘Iowa’ 15 ft 10 ft Red Cedar ‘Gray Owl’ Juniperus virginiana ‘Gray Owl’ 2-3 ft 4-6 ft Tsuga canadensis Eastern Hemlock 40-70 ft 25-35 ft Eastern Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis 20-40 ft 10-15 ft Balsam Fir Abies balsamea 50-70 ft 15-25 ft Canaan Fir Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis 30-40 ft 20-25 ft ‘Hetz Wintergreen’ Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Wintergreen’ 18-20 ft 7-10 ft Korean Pine Pinus koraiensis 40-50 ft 25-30 ft Lacebark Pine Pinus bungeana 25-30 ft 15-20 ft Swiss Stone Pine Pinus cembra 40 ft 30 ft ‘Techny’ Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’ 12 ft 8 ft Sun requirements Water requirements Full Sun- at least 6 hours sun per day Dry Part Shade- 3 to 6 hours sun per day Medium Wet Bird Friendly Ground Covers

Groundcovers are low growth plants that create a diversely Birds Using these Perennials: Common Name Scientific Name Requirements Height & Spread functioning groundplane. They can significantly increase habitat Carolina Wren Water Sun H S value for birds and pollinators by diversifying food sources Sedge Wren* Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta 1-2 ft 2-3 ft and enhancing soil health, regulating ground temperature, and House Wren Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa 1-2.5 ft 1-1.5 ft increasing water infiltration. Naturalized and native groundcovers Brown Thrasher* Grass-leaved Goldenrod Euthamia graminifolia 4-5 ft 4-5 ft can reduce maintenence after initial establishment. They also Wood Thrush* Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis 2-4 ft 1-2 ft provide aesthetic qualities that give seasonal delight, while Baltimore Oriole* Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya 2-5 ft 1-2 ft supporting Iowa’s wildlife. Cedar Waxwing Common Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum 4-6 ft 3-4 ft House Finch Rough Blazing Star Liatris aspera 2-3 ft 1-1.5 ft American Goldfinch Common Yarrow Achillea millefolium 2-3 ft 2-3 ft Rose-breasted Grosbeak Cup Plant Silphium perfoliatum 4-8 ft 1-3 ft Cedar Waxwing Eastern Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea 3-8 ft 1.5-2 ft Black-capped Chickadee .5-2 ft .5-2 ft Tufted Titmouse Side-flowering Aster Solidago nemoralis Bell’s Vireo* Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica 2-3 ft 1-1.5 ft Ruby Throated Hummingbird Stiff Goldenrod Solidago rigida 1-3 ft 1.5-2.5 ft Jack-in-the-Pulpit Arisaema triphyllum 1-2 ft 1-1.5 ft Birds using these Grasses: Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis 3-5 ft 2-3 ft American Goldfinch Maximilian Sunflower Helianthus maximiliani Field Sparrow* 3-10 ft 2-4 ft Grasshopper Sparrow* Michigan Lily Lilium michiganense 2-5 ft 1-2 ft Bell’s Vireo Pale Purple-Coneflower Echinacea pallida 2-3 ft 1-1.5 ft Sedge Wren* Red Columbine Aquilegia canadensis 2-3 ft 1-1.5 ft Savannah Sparrow Gray-headed Coneflower Ratibida pinnata 1-3 ft 1-1.5 ft Western Meadowlark Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa 2-3 ft 2-3 ft Eastern Meadowlark Horned lark Spotted Crane’s-Bill Geranium maculatum 1-2 ft 1-1.5 ft 2-5 ft 1.5-2.5 ft * Denotes Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Spotted Touch-Me-Not Impatiens capensis Nesting Species of Greatest Conservation Spotted Joe-Pye-Weed Eutrochium maculatum 5-7 ft 2-4 ft Need Virginia Strawberry Fragaria virginiana .25-.75 ft 1.5-2 ft White Prairie-Clover Dalea candida 2-3 ft .75-1.5 ft Prairie Sage Artemisia ludoviciana 2-3 ft 2-3 ft Prairie Phlox Phlox pilosa .75-1 ft .75-1 ft Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis 2-5 ft 1-2.5 ft Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium 2-4 ft 1.5-2 ft Side-Oats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula 1-2 ft 1-2.5 ft Eastern Gramagrass Tripsacum dactyloides 2-3 ft 4-6 ft

Sun requirements Water requirements Full Sun- at least 6 hours sun per day Dry Part Shade- 3 to 6 hours sun per day Medium Wet Bird Friendly Ground Covers

Groundcovers are low growth plants that create a diversely Birds using these Perennials: Common Name Scientific Name Requirements Height & Spread functioning groundplane. They can significantly increase habitat Carolina Wren Water Sun H S value for birds and pollinators by diversifying food sources Sedge Wren* Prairie Milkweed Asclepias sullivantii 2-3 ft 2-3 ft and enhancing soil health, regulating ground temperature, and House Wren Purple Milkweed Asclepias purpurascens 2-3 ft 1-3 ft increasing water infiltration. Naturalized and native groundcovers Brown Thrasher* Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca 2-3 ft .75-1 ft can reduce maintenence after initial establishment. They also Wood Thrush* Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata 4-5 ft 2-3 ft provide aesthetic qualities that give seasonal delight, while Baltimore Oriole* Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum 5-9 ft 1.5-3 ft supporting Iowa’s wildlife. Cedar Waxwing Rosinweed Silphium integrifolium 2-6 ft 1-3 ft House Finch False Sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides 3-6 ft 2-4 ft American Goldfinch Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana 3-4 ft 2-3 ft Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1-1.5 ft 0.5-1 ft Cedar Waxwing Prairie Onion Allium stellatum Black-capped Chickadee Prairie Cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis 1-2 ft 1-2 ft Tufted Titmouse Golden Alexander Zizia aurea 1.5-3 ft 1.5-2 ft Bell’s Vireo* Leadplant Amorpha Amorpha canescens 3-6 ft 2-4 ft Ruby Throated Hummingbird Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa 2-4 ft 2-3 ft Birds using these Grasses: Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta 2-4 ft 1.5-2 ft American Goldfinch Anise Hyssop Verbena stricta 2-4 ft 1.5-3 ft Field Sparrow* Meadow Anemone Anemone canadensis 1-2 ft 2-2.5 ft Grasshopper Sparrow* Pasture Rose Rosa carolina 3-6 ft 5-10 ft Bell’s Vireo Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea 1-3 ft 1-1.5 ft Sedge Wren* Purple Meadow Rue Thalictrum dasycarpum 3-5 ft 3-4 ft Savannah Sparrow Western Meadowlark Hairy Wild Petunia Ruellia humilis 1-3 ft 1-1.5 ft Eastern Meadowlark Sky Blue Aster Aster oolentangiensis 2-3ft 1.5-2 ft Horned lark New England Aster Aster novae-angliae 2-3 ft 1.5-2 ft * Denotes Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Tall Coreopsis Coreopsis tripteris 2-8 ft 2-8 ft Nesting Species of Greatest Conservation Sweet Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia subtomentosa 2-3 ft 1-2 ft Need Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis 2-3 ft 2-3 ft Porcupine Grass Miscanthus sinensis 4-9 ft 2-6 ft Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii 4-6 ft 2-3 ft Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis 2-5 ft 2-3 ft Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans 3-5 ft 1-2 ft Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus 2-4 ft 1-2 ft Junegrass Koeleria macrantha 1-2 ft 0.75-1.5 ft

Sun requirements Water requirements Full Sun- at least 6 hours sun per day Dry Part Shade- 3 to 6 hours sun per day Medium Wet credits: research & publication design by Mahsa Adib, Rosie Manzo, and Shuang Wu, MLA 2019 Iowa State University, Department of Landscape Architecture & Bruce Ehresman, Iowa Ornithologists’ Union & BFI text editing and graphic design: Bruce Ehresman, Julia Badenhope, Mahsa Adib & Chad Schultz. Audubon, https://www.audubon.org/

Published with the support of: Iowa Ornithologists’ Union, iowabirds.org Bird Friendly Iowa, birdfriendlyiowa.org & Iowa State University, Department of Landscape Architecture, https://www.design.iastate.edu/landscape-architecture